Expanding Our Search for Cost-Effective Ways to Reduce Poverty
GiveWell, historically focused on health interventions, launched a dedicated livelihoods research subteam in September 2025 and appointed a senior program officer to evaluate income‑generation programs. The team is testing three cash‑transfer pilots—vendor grants, market‑access timing, and targeting poor young adults—to improve cost‑effectiveness. It is also assessing poverty‑graduation schemes that combine assets, training, and modest cash, which have shown income gains lasting five years or more. By funding targeted research, GiveWell aims to reduce uncertainty and guide donors toward high‑impact poverty‑reduction strategies.
Growing GiveWell’s Largest Research Area: Malaria
GiveWell has now directed over $1 billion toward malaria prevention, estimating the funding will save roughly 235,000 lives. The organization’s malaria research team has grown to 15 staff members, contributing more than 20,000 research hours annually. Recent grants fund studies on...
Building Our Safe Water Grantmaking: Apply to the DIV Fund’s RFP
GiveWell has allocated a $5 million grant to the Development Impact Ventures (DIV) Fund to spur early‑stage water‑quality innovations. The DIV Fund’s new request for proposals (RFP) offers tiered grants—up to $200k for pilots, $500k for scaling studies, and $1.5 million for...
Podcast Episode 30: What a Decade of Iron Funding Has Taught Us
GiveWell has allocated roughly $50 million over the past decade to combat iron‑deficiency anemia, a condition affecting about 25% of the global population. The organization’s flagship partnership with Fortify Health grew from seven wheat‑flour mills serving 350,000 people to 125 mills...
How We’re Searching for the Best Ways to Help in 2026
GiveWell’s 2026 research agenda centers on scaling its analytical capacity and allocating at least $500 million to the most cost‑effective health and development interventions. The organization now employs 60 researchers across 11 subteams covering malaria, nutrition, vaccination, water, livelihoods and cross‑cutting...
Podcast Episode 28: Evaluating and Funding a New Kind of Grant (Clubfoot Treatment)
GiveWell announced a new grant to MiracleFeet to expand free Ponseti clubfoot treatment in low‑ and middle‑income countries, following a site visit in Côte d’Ivoire. The program trains health workers, supplies materials, and educates communities, resulting in hundreds of children...
Podcast Episode 27: Scrutinizing One of Our Longest-Funded Programs
GiveWell revisited its long‑standing vitamin A supplementation program, scrutinizing decades‑old trial data and new research to refine impact estimates. While classic randomized trials reported a 19% drop in child mortality, the organization now estimates a more modest 1%‑11% reduction in...